Jurgen Klopp might've been onto something when he name-checked Tottenham Hotspur as title contenders this season.
Spurs ran out 2-0 winners when Everton came to town on Saturday night, producing a typically calculated performance to thwart Frank Lampard 's side. With Antonio Conte 's fingerprints firmly on this resurgent Tottenham, it seems to have been forgotten that they're only one point adrift of Premier League leaders - and their bitter rivals - Arsenal, and level with champions Manchester City.
All the plaudits appear to be going to the team on the other side of north London, yet it's Spurs who Klopp backed to be in the title mix when it counts. Speaking in July, the Liverpool manager handed Conte and co a huge compliment, made even more noteworthy by the fact Klopp knows exactly what it takes to keep battling at the summit until the last hurdle.
Following Tottenham's £172million summer spending spree, the Anfield gaffer declared to ESPN FC when asked about potential title challengers: "You have to look at Tottenham, what they are doing now in the moment. They were doing well last year, and they didn't get worse this year."
Saturday's win summed up Spurs' promising start to the campaign, as Everton looked more than within a shout of a draw approaching the hour mark. But in clincal fashion, star striker Harry Kane punished Toffees goalkeeper Jordan Pickford from the penalty spot before midfield general Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg wrapped things up four minutes from time.
Tottenham now sit comfortably in third, seven points ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea. Spurs' tally of 22 goals is also only bettered by City and Arsenal, as is their plus-12 goal difference. Watching Conte's men on the march may be significantly less pretty than the pair of teams ahead of them in the table, but the facts don't lie: Tottenham are in the hunt.
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Their manager is, of course, receiving much of the praise, with his reputation of being a serial winner not being forgotten. As Gary Lineker put it post-match via Twitter : "Spurs are a different animal under Conte. Tactically smart and much more resilient. Still a work in progress but encouraging signs."
Jamie Redknapp echoed Lineker's thoughts, singling out an astute tactical decision from Conte which sparked his team's performance into life. "I think the manager deserves a lot of credit," Redknapp began on Sky Sports, focussing on the eyebrow-raising decision to bring on midfielder Yves Bissouma, a defensive-minded player, for injured forward Richarlison.
"He made a good substitution in a game that was not really going anywhere. It looked like it might peter out at 0-0. He could've gone with Bryan Gil when he lost Richarlison, he could've brought on [Lucas] Moura. But he decided to thicken up the midfield, get an extra body in there, get the wing-backs up."
The cynics will dismiss Spurs' latest victory as another ugly, fortunate win, but the three points on the board still look the same.
